An imposter?

Ferdinand Waldo Demara was not content with being himself, nor would he apply himself to any course long enough to become what he wanted to be. Instead, he 'borrowed' credentials and pretended to be something he was not. In his lifetime he stole many identities and worked, among other things, as a deputy sheriff, a counselor, an engineer, and a ship's surgeon! His story was told in a book called The Great Imposter. He was a smart man, able to learn quickly, and wily enough to avoid detection in many of his jobs until his pride would get the best of him and he would seek publicity, which always led to his exposure as a fake. How sad that he wasted his life in pretending. What might Demara have been if he had the integrity and endurance to get the right credentials for the jobs he craved?

Some people approach Christianity much like Demara approached life. They want to be a great Christian, and not necessarily just because of pride. They desire to be a loving, generous, pure, and holy person whose life honors God, so they adopt the demeanor of some Christian they admire! They learn to act and talk like their pastor, or their favorite TV preacher, or somebody at church who impresses them. But it's all just pretense. Their hearts are not really transformed by the Spirit of God. It's an act, well-meaning, but a fraud never the less! A pious veneer covers heart full of evil. Under pressure who they really are appears. For example, when someone really stars to press them, they soon fire back defensively and angrily, because they are not secure in the love of Jesus. Or, when life falls apart, they become miserable or pitiful, because they have no deep, abiding faith that keeps their mind and heart serene. They are frauds.

I'm not writing about those people who are true hypocrites; those who adopt religion to advance themselves or to impress others. I am writing about those who really believe that being a follower of Christ means acting in some manner that they have observed in others, who try to put on Christianity like a woman puts on make-up! It is a common deception! The truth is that we become Believers with a transformational experience that starts in the heart, that changes our most basic ways of thinking. Jesus calls it being 'born again of the Spirit.' Paul calls it 'renewal.' "Jesus Christ," he writes, "saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5, NLT) Don't misunderstand the Word. There are spiritual disciplines to which we must apply ourselves as we reach for maturity in godliness. We can and should learn many good things from those who are leading us. But, we can never become a Christian from the outside in; it must always be inside out!

Are you attempting, by morality or discipline or even fakery, to be what and who only God, the Holy Spirit, can make you?
Are you putting on layer upon layer of morality and religion, in an attempt to be a Christian, a person who enjoys a relationship with God and who holds the promise of eternal life?
I am sorry, but you're an imposter- perhaps a well-intentioned one, but a fake all the same.

God can and will change you, but it is His work, a thing of faith and the Spirit. "We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." (Ephesians 2:9-10, The Message)

Acknowledge that you have tried and failed. Yes, that is hard to do. Tell God you realize you're a fake, that your heart is still full of self and pride. Oh, that is so humbling to admit to Him, to ourselves. However, if we face the truth, He can step in with the real experience. Spend time waiting, listening, letting the Spirit show you the way, then trust in Jesus.

Turn to Him, and when the Holy Spirit comes into your life, the transformation will begin and you will be "transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV) An authentic Christian experience is one of integrity, one that will survive the tests and trials, and fears no exposure.

Praise God! Amen.